Department for Transport

Pedicabs: Greater London

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they havetointroduce legislation in the next parliamentary session to regulate pedicabs in London.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government agrees that it is in the interest of safety and fairness to all road users, pedestrians, and passengers to address the lack of pedicab regulation in London.The Government has supported the Pedicabs (London) Bill, which is being taken forward in the House of Commons by Nickie Aiken MP.

High Speed 2 Line: Wendover

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 31 January (HL5657), whether they will publish (1) the cost/benefit analysis, and (2) the additional independent analyses, on which they and HS2 Ltd based their decision to build a viaduct rather than a tunnel at Wendover.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The decision to adopt a majority surface route in the Wendover area was supported by the House of Commons Select Committee during the passage of the High Speed Rail (London to West Midlands) Act 2017, who were fully presented with the costs and benefits of the presented options.The alternative Wendover Mined Tunnel Proposal was subsequently assessed by HS2 Ltd and by independent consultants as being harder and more expensive to construct than the consented scheme. This assessment was provided to the constituency MP and local councillors at the time, and again in February 2020.The Department does not release information provided in confidence by external suppliers or consultants.

High Speed 2 Line: Leeds

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 31 January (HL5594), on what date Leeds City Council (1) councillors, or (2) officials, were informed of the Government's decision not to proceed with previous plans to bring HS2 to Leeds.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government engaged with regional stakeholders, including Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, throughout the development of the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP).The IRP has set out that the Government will look at the best way for HS2 trains to serve Leeds alongside development of the West Yorkshire Mass Transit System.

Railways: Tickets

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeof the need for better coordination across rail networks of (1) rail ticket types, (2) ticket restrictions, and (3) ticket names; and whatsteps, if any, they are taking to improve such coordination.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail recognised the need for better coordination of fares and ticketing across the rail network. The creation of Great British Railways will help to simplify the current confusing ticketing system and support a modernised customer experience. To support this, the Government is investing £360 million over the next three years in a programme of Fares, Ticketing and Retailing (FTR) reforms including a new online retail channel and app to supersede existing separate train company websites, contactless ticketing in urban areas and the extension of digital ticketing across the network.

Lifeboats

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the lifeboat accident on the research ship Sir David Attenborough, whether they plan to review legislation relating to (1) hook release problems, and (2) wire and brake failures, leading to difficulties of recovering free-fall life boats once they have been launched onto the water.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is currently investigating this incident. Their world-class inspectors will uncover its causes and make recommendations to prevent reoccurrence. The Government will consider its response once the investigation is complete.

Bus Services: Standards

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the effect of theBus Services Act 2017 in improving bus services.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The National Bus Strategy, published in March last year, set out the Government’s vision for delivering better bus services for passengers across England.Since then, all local authorities in England have published a Bus Service Improvement Plan, setting out how they will improve bus services in their areas. Improvements will be delivered using the powers in the Bus Services Act 2017 – either via enhanced partnerships or bus franchising – using over a billion pounds of new Government funding.The Government has committed £3 billion of bus investment across this Parliament, including £1.2 billion of new dedicated funding for bus transformation.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Business: Loans

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Agnew of Oulton on 24 January (HL Deb, col 21) where he stated that "three out of the seven main lenders account for 87 per cent of loans paid out to companies already dissolved", whether they will provide (1) names of the three lenders, (2) the (a) number, and (b) names, of the dissolved companies, and (3) the amounts of loans made to each of the companies.

Lord Callanan: We do not intend to name specific lenders at this time due to the commercially sensitive nature of this information.

Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry

Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the cases will be pursued (1) in parallel, or (2) sequentially, in the Post Office Horizon Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Lord Callanan: Cases being subject to the Alternative Dispute Resolution process are being handled in parallel.

Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry

Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Post Office will be permitted to demand confidentiality in the Post Office Horizon Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Lord Callanan: In principle, Post Office will be permitted to demand confidentiality; however, this is a legal matter and will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry

Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the size of the compensation cost connected to the Post Office Horizon scandal, and (2) the extent to which the Post Office remains a going concern.

Lord Callanan: BEIS Secretary of State is the 100% shareholder of Post Office and in this capacity he has agreed to help fund the Historical Shortfall Scheme and to fund the compensation for postmasters with overturned Horizon-related convictions. An initial estimate of £233 million of maximum budget cover from the Government for Historical Shortfall Scheme compensation payments was published by BEIS, as is required, on the TCA subsidy website. This was an estimate of maximum budget cover potentially required from Government and is not an estimate of likely outturn in settlement costs. The £153 million provision included in the 2019/20 Post Office accounts provides the best estimate of likely overall compensation spend under the Historical Shortfall Scheme, some of which will be paid by Post Office and some of which will be paid by Government. BEIS also published on the TCA subsidy website an estimate of maximum potential Government spend of £780 million to cover both the interim payments of up to £100k to be paid within 28 days of an overturned Horizon-related conviction and the final settlements for these postmasters. This is not, however, an estimate of the likely spend on these settlement costs. Actual compensation costs for postmasters with overturned criminal convictions will be determined by the total number of overturned convictions over time and the individual settlements reached. As was the case on the Historical Shortfall Scheme, I expect that Post Office will publish a more accurate estimate of these compensation costs as a provision in its forthcoming annual report and accounts. Post Office Limited confirmed in its Annual Report and Accounts in March 2021 that it is a going concern. The next Annual Report and Accounts should be published before the end of March 2022

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Staff

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Agnew of Oulton on 24 January (HL Deb, col 21) where he stated that "at the beginning of Covid, BEIS had the grand total of two counter-fraud officials on its staff", whether they will provide details about (1) where the staff were located, (2) their job specifications, (3) their qualifications, (4) their work experience, and (5) the dates on which any additional staff were appointed to perform similar tasks.

Lord Callanan: Prior to the Covid pandemic BEIS had 2 suitably qualified officials supported by a Civil Service fast streamer within the central Counter Fraud function however to consider this the total response to Counter Fraud is reductive. As the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic developed, BEIS expenditure increased from a pre-COVID-19 level of less than £20 billion per year to over £100 billion. With the extraordinary speed of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme launch – necessary to ensure business across the UK received the financial support they so urgently needed as quickly as possible - BEIS deployed a Senior Civil Servant, with extensive experience in counter fraud, to lead the counter fraud effort and a number of BEIS employees were redeployed into counter fraud roles to support the core team leading on the COVID-19 loan schemes. It is important to note that this represents only the core BEIS Counter Fraud function and that there is additional resource deployed across the BEIS affiliated organisations dealing with counter fraud. BEIS Counter Fraud function operates as part of the wider Government Counter Fraud function and with partners across the civil service and law enforcement. In early 2021 investment was secured to expand the Counter Fraud capability including an additional 10 counter fraud posts, one being a permanent Senior Civil Service post. Recruitment for these posts started in mid-2021 and as at January 2022 the core BEIS counter fraud workforce has increased to nine. Moving forward, this increase in BEIS counter fraud resource and capability will deliver a counter fraud centre of expertise, supporting and working with the many counter fraud experts across the Arm’s Length Bodies and Partner Organisations affiliated to BEIS. It will develop a robust Lessons process to build prevention strategies for future loans and grant schemes that our Arm’s Length Bodies and Partner Organisations may have deliver and provide the focal point for data collection and reporting between the affiliated groups and the Cabinet Office.

Business: Loans

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Agnew of Oulton on 24 January (HL Deb, col 21) where he stated that "three out ofthe seven main lenders account for 87 per cent of loans paid out to companies already dissolved", why the ratio is so skewed; and following his further remarks that "two of the seven account for 81 per cent of cases where loans were paid out to companies incorporated post-Covid", whether they will provide (1) names of the two lenders, (2) the (a) number, and (b) names, of the recipient companies incorporated after the start of the pandemic measures, and (3) the amounts of loans made to each of the companies.

Lord Callanan: The Bank continues to work with lenders in order to better understand and validate what may be driving these differences, and to share best practice, data and insight. The Bank continues to publish the names of companies who took out loans under the scheme where required in line with reporting transparency requirements. We do not intend to name specific lenders at this time due to the commercially sensitive nature of this information.

Insulation

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the extent to which insulation can be a source of indoor air pollutants, (2) the impact of any such pollutants on occupant health, and (3) the impact of using nature-based insulation as a low pollutant source material.

Lord Callanan: The Government has not undertaken an assessment of the extent to which any type of insulation can be a source of pollutants, or the impact of these on the health of occupants of buildings.

Insulation: Manufacturing Industries

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the 2050 Net Zero target, whether they have assessed the amount of (1) energy required for, and (2) the global warming potential of, the manufacture of insulation materials.

Lord Callanan: The Government has not undertaken as assessment of the amount of energy required for the manufacture of insulation products, or the impact this may have on global warming. The Government remains committed to ensuring that all insulation products sold on the UK market are safe and perform to the required standard.

Housing: Heating

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they haveconsidered research published by the Environmental Technologies & Resource Efficiency Support Service (EnTRESS), atthe University of Wolverhampton,concerning any cost and efficiency advantagesinfrared heating has over other alternatives to decarbonising home heating.

Lord Callanan: BEIS is gathering evidence on the performance of infrared heating to account for recent developments in infrared heating technology, data management and intelligent control systems. The report published by the Environmental Technologies & Resource Efficiency Support Service (EnTRESS) will be considered as part of this evaluation.

Post Boxes: : Theft

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following instances of thefts of Georgian and Victorian post boxes in East Anglia, (1) how many post boxes have been stolen across the UK in the last 12 months, and (2) what discussions they have had with Royal Mail regarding the replacement of those post boxes.

Lord Callanan: Royal Mail is aware of the theft of post boxes in parts of East Anglia and is working closely with law enforcement agencies and deploying preventative measures to deter theft. The Government is not involved in the replacement of post boxes which is an operational matter for Royal Mail.

Buildings: Insulation

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the quantity of insulation material needed to insulate the entirety of the UK’s building stock in time to meet the 2050 Net Zero target.

Lord Callanan: The English Housing Survey provides estimates[1] of the extent of different insulation measures in the English housing stock. These estimates suggest that 6.3m solid walls remain uninsulated, 5.4m cavity walls remain uninsulated, and 3.2m lofts have less than 100mm of insulation (this figure excludes homes that do not have a loft – for example, homes with a loft conversion). Only 1.9m homes currently have floor insulation. It should be noted, particularly for higher cost measures like solid wall insulation, that not all these untreated properties need to be improved, as some of these improvements would not be considered cost effective, practical or affordable on an individual property basis. Energy efficiency is a matter for the devolved administrations, who will have equivalent estimates for their countries. [1]https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/898342/Energy_Chapter_2_Figures_and_Annex_Tables.xlsx, tabs: AT2.10, AT 2.11, and AT2.12Energy efficiency measures and seasonal temperatur (xlsx, 229.3KB)

Housing: Insulation

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether breathable nature-based insulation is more appropriate for insulating older homes in the existing housing stock than synthetic products.

Lord Callanan: The Government has not made an assessment of the circumstances in which nature-based insulation products would deliver better outcomes in older homes. The Government remains committed to ensuring that all insulation products sold on the UK market are safe and perform to the required standard.

Insulation

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the 2050 Net Zero target, whether they have assessed the levels of embodied carbon contained in (1) synthetic, and (2) nature-based, insulation materials.

Lord Callanan: The Government has not undertaken such an assessment. The Government continues to take forward work to mitigate carbon emissions through measuring and reducing the embodied and operational carbon of the buildings and infrastructure it funds, and within the construction supply chain.

Insulation

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the potential for carbon storing nature-based insulation products to decarbonise the built environment, and (2) the impact such products could have on reaching the 2050 Net Zero target.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of proposals for a mechanism to inform consumers (1) how much embodied carbon an insulation product contains, and (2) whether, and if so how much, it stores biogenic carbon, through Environmental Product Declarations at the specifier level.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of showing potential consumers the relationship between energy savings and operational carbon versus stored biogenic carbon of insulation materials.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of using breathable nature-based insulation on the comfort, health and well-being of occupants.

Lord Callanan: The Government has not made an assessment of the potential for nature-based insulation products to contribute to the decarbonisation of the built environment, the 2050 Net Zero Carbon target, or the impact on the residents of homes in which these products are use. The Government has also made no assessment of the benefits of showing consumers the potential relationship between individual products and energy savings. To improve energy and heat efficiency in buildings usually requires a number of interventions, including improving insulation. Therefore, the focus of Government programmes that deliver this, such as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, is on developing approaches to whole house retrofit, rather than on identifying the contribution individual products can make.

Department of Health and Social Care

Inivos: Protective Clothing

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall of 26 January (HL5352), what is the outcome of the technical review of Inivos gowns, which are currently under investigation through the technical regulatory assurance process.

Lord Kamall: We are unable to provide the information requested as it is commercially sensitive.

NHS England: Databases

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish a list of (1) organisations, and (2) project titles, that in 2021 had any access to data via NHS England's National Commissioning Data Repository; and for each organisation or project, whether they will provide a brief description of its purpose.

Lord Kamall: The National Commissioning Data Repository is only used by NHS England and NHS Improvement employees for commissioning data purposes and does not share data with external organisations. Therefore, NHS England and NHS Improvement do not publish the information requested.

Department for Education

Alternative Education: Schools

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many alternative education schools are registered.

Baroness Barran: The department has interpreted 'alternative education school' to mean a school established to provide alternative provision to students. Alternative provision refers to education arranged by local authorities for pupils who, because of exclusion, illness, or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable education, education arranged by schools for pupils on a fixed period exclusion, and pupils being directed by schools to off-site provision to improve their behaviour.Figures from the Secretary of State’s register of educational institutions show that in England there are:348 state-maintained alternative provision schools, which includes Pupil Referral Units, alternative provision academies and free schools.2,411 open independent schools of all types.These figures are available to view at: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk.As there is no requirement for registered independent schools, which primarily provide alternative provision, to be registered as such with the Secretary of State, it is not possible to identify the number of independent schools which would mean the definition of 'alternative education school'.

Universities: Complaints

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students have registered complaints about their university with the Office for Students; and how many complaints were upheld in the 2021 academic year.

Baroness Barran: The Office for Students (OfS) does not get involved with individual student complaints. Such complaints are a matter for the relevant higher education provider and the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA).In 2021, the OIA received 2,763 complaints from students. Details of the outcomes of those complaints, including the number upheld, will be available in their annual report, which will be published in April 2022 on their website: https://www.oiahe.org.uk/resources-and-publications/annual-reports/.Students can notify the OfS of issues that may be of regulatory interest to it. These are known as ‘notifications’ and the OfS uses this information as part of its regulatory monitoring activity. This helps to ensure that higher education providers comply with the ongoing conditions of their registration. Notifications can be submitted online via the OfS website at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/office-for-students-notifications/how-to-submit-a-notification/

Students: Loans

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that thefreeze on the student loan repayment thresholdwill only stay in place for one year.

Baroness Barran: We announced on 28 January that the repayment thresholds for post-2012 (Plan 2) and postgraduate (Plan 3) student loans will be maintained at their current levels of £27,295 and £21,000 per year respectively, for financial year 2022-23.It is more crucial than ever that higher education is underpinned by just and sustainable finance and funding arrangements, and that the system provides value for money for all at a time of rising costs. Maintaining the repayment thresholds at current levels, alongside the ongoing freeze in fees, will help to ensure the sustainability of the student loan system, while keeping higher education open to everyone who has the ability and ambition to benefit from it, including the most disadvantaged.We will confirm repayment thresholds for future years at the appropriate time.

Overseas Students: Employment

Lord Johnson of Marylebone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sectoral breakdown ofemployment of international students who have stayed in the UK post-study in each of the last 10 years by (1) nationality, and (2) sector of employment.

Baroness Barran: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of graduates 15 months after qualifying from higher education in the Graduate Outcomes (GO) survey. This survey is unique in that it collects detailed information from the individual about their employment or further study, which allows HESA to determine the industry and occupation of employment. Further information about the survey is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates.The survey results include information on the outcomes of graduates who were domiciled overseas prior to study. For those remaining in the UK, the industry and occupation of employment is available in the GO Open Data here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates/table-19 and https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates/table-22.Information is available for graduates in academic years 2017/18 and 2018/19. Counts in the tables are of survey respondents rather than all members of graduating cohorts. In 2018/19, the response rate, including partial survey responses, was 51% and 34% for EU and non-EU domiciled graduates respectively. Further statistics can be found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb260/figure-3. Breakdowns by country of nationality are not published.Prior to 2017/18, HESA collected data on the outcomes of graduates 6 months after qualifying from higher education in the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey. Data from this survey series are available in HESA’s publication archive, found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/publications#destinations-leavers-higher-education.Though non-EU international graduates were invited to take part in the survey, the level of response was not considered suitable for publication.

Universities: Codes of Practice

Lord Johnson of Marylebone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which requiring the Office for Students (1) to publish a code of practice governing universities’ use of recruitment agents and sub-agents, and (2) to enforce the code on a ‘comply or explain’ basis as a condition of registration with the Office for Students, would help drive out fraud in international student recruitment and uphold the reputation of higher education in England.

Baroness Barran: The government does not currently have plans to request the Office for Students (OfS) to publish a code of practice governing universities’ use of recruitment agents and sub-agents.As set out in the International Education Strategy, the government is committed to working with the sector to enhance international student experience with specific actions that aim to make the application process clearer with more accessible information for potential students.A range of resources are available to higher education (HE) providers working with agents, such as the British Council good practice guidance and the London statement. Both are available here: https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/education-agents/good-practice-guidance-uk-information. The British Universities’ International Liaison Association also supports the professional and personal development of HE staff members with training events, including on the topic of working with agents. This information is available at: https://www.buila.ac.uk/training.The department is working closely with partners including the OfS and UCAS to prevent, detect and deter fraud within the HE sector.

Overseas Students: Average Earnings and Economic Growth

Lord Johnson of Marylebone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the average (1) earnings, and (2) economic contribution, of international students who have stayed in the UK post-study in each of the last 10 years.

Baroness Barran: The department publishes information about the earnings of international graduates from English higher education (HE) providers and colleges who remain in the UK for employment one, three, five and ten years after graduating from a first degree in its annual Graduate Outcomes (LEO)[1] publication. Latest available data refers to outcomes in the 2018-19 financial year and are published in Table 45 at the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo/2018-19.Table 1 in the attached spreadsheet summarises the earnings outcomes of international first degree graduates from English HE providers and colleges one year after graduation for the past five tax years. Data is only published for the 2014-15 financial year onwards.The department also publishes employment outcomes and earnings for international postgraduates from English HE institutions in the Graduate Outcomes (LEO): Postgraduate outcomes[2] publication. Table 2 in the attached spreadsheet summarises the outcomes of international level 7 (taught and research) and level 8 postgraduates of English HE institutions, one year after graduation for the past five tax years. Data is only published for the 2014/15 financial year onwards.The government values the positive, significant economic contribution international students make during and post study. No official numerical estimate is held by the department.The graduate route provides greater incentives for international students to work in the UK post-study. The linked graduate route’s impact assessment, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/966659/Graduate_Route_Impact_Assessment.pdf, shows that while on the graduate route, graduates will be able to work and look for work, which is expected to generate income to the Exchequer from direct and indirect tax contributions. This is estimated to lead to a benefit to public finances of between £6.7 and £15.2 billion with a central estimate of £10.7 billion (10-year present value, 2021/22 financial year prices).[1] https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo/2018-19[2] https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo-postgraduate-outcomesHL5845_table (xls, 51.0KB)

Ministry of Justice

Mental Capacity: Payments

Lord Young of Cookham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many responses were received to the Mental Capacity Act: Small Payments Scheme consultation, which ran from 16 November 2021 to 12 January 2022.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: I refer my noble Friend to the answer I gave on 27 January 2022 to his question HL5408.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Australia: Visits Abroad

Lord Macpherson of Earl's Court: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish theaccounting officer’s assessment of the value for money of the choice of transport for the Foreign Secretary’s recent visit to Australia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Foreign travel is a vital part of diplomacy. The work that ministers do overseas ultimately delivers for the British people. We have three government planes for Government business. They are used by the Prime Minister and Ministers for precisely this purpose. This is standard practice and in the national interest.Every government decision is based on value for money. In accordance with the Ministerial Code, the FCDO publishes the costs related to all overseas Ministerial travel as part of the Quarterly Transparency Return.

India

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, with regard to theJoint Analysis of Conflict and Stability: Guidance Note, published in June 2017, when anassessment on India was last conducted; and what is their assessment of the situation in India, with particular reference to instances of Islamophobic hate speech.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The British High Commission in New Delhi regularly assesses human rights across India. We condemn any instances of discrimination because of religion or belief, regardless of the country or faith involved. We look to India to uphold all freedoms and rights guaranteed in its strong constitution and by the international instruments to which India is a party. We engage with India on a range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments, and with NGOs, to build capacity and share expertise to promote human rights for all. Where we have concerns, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at ministerial level.Officials regularly meet religious representatives and have run projects supporting minority rights. The British High Commission supports a UK-India Interfaith Leadership Programme for a cohort of emerging Indian faith leaders, including Muslims, creating an opportunity to exchange expertise on leading modern, inclusive faith communities, and promote values of tolerance and multi-culturalism. The UK will host an international Ministerial conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2022 to energise collective efforts on this agenda. We also work with the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, G7 and other multilateral fora to promote FoRB.

Afghanistan

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, with regard to theJoint Analysis of Conflict and Stability: Guidance Note,published in June 2017, when an assessment on Afghanistan was last conducted; and what is theirassessment of the situation in Afghanistan, with particular reference to the treatment of the ethnic Hazara community.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCDO continues to assess and adapt its approach to Afghanistan to take account of changes on the ground and learn from our previous activity.Hazara people, and other ethnic and religious minorities, have long faced attacks and discrimination and we are monitoring the situation closely. We are particularly concerned by reports of targeted killings and forced displacement in recent months. FCDO officials regularly raise human rights, including rights of members of minority groups, in discussions with the Taliban, including during in Oslo on 23-25 January.

Myanmar

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, with regardto theJoint Analysis of Conflict and Stability: Guidance Note,published in June 2017, when anassessment on Myanmar was last conducted; and what is their assessment of the situation in Myanmar, with particular reference to the alleged mass atrocity crimes committed against the Rohingya people.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK condemns the coup and calls for an end to violence and the restoration of democracy. We recognise the particular vulnerability of the Rohingya, and other ethnic and religious minorities, and are monitoring developments closely.The UK finalised our Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability in Myanmar in March 2019. The JACS provides a detailed assessment of the situation in Myanmar, including an analysis of the impact of atrocities committed against the Rohingya in 2017. The JACS recognises, in particular, the role that ethno-religious nationalism played in fuelling widespread violence against the Rohingya. These narratives remain, and are perpetuated by the military regime, leading to an ongoing risk of further atrocities against minorities.Following the coup in Myanmar, the Myanmar JACS is currently being refreshed. The revised JACS will maintain a focus on the situation of the Rohingya, and other ethnic and religious minorities. It will also look to mainstream the UK's developing work on atrocity prevention and identity based violence in Myanmar.

China

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, with regard to theJoint Analysis of Conflict and Stability: Guidance Note, published in June 2017, when an assessment on China was last conducted; and what is their assessmentof the situation in China, with particular reference to the alleged atrocity crimes committed against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCDO monitors closely the human rights situation in Xinjiang. This includes regular discussion and sharing of information with international partners, close monitoring of open source research, extensive commissioning and funding of research from relevant international experts on issues of concern, and diplomatic reporting and analysis from our Embassy in Beijing and the wider FCDO network. This growing body of evidence and analysis will continue to inform FCDO and broader HMG policy in relation to Xinjiang, and underpin our robust diplomatic action and domestic policy response.

Ministry of Defence

Type 26 Frigates: Procurement

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 26 January (HL5599), whether the first Type 26 (1) passed Main Gate in 2015, (2) was ordered July 2017, (3) will enter operational service 2027; and whether they expect the last of the eight ships in that class will enter service in 2041.

Baroness Goldie: In November 2015 the Strategic Defence and Security Review confirmed that eight Type 26 frigates would be manufactured. In 2016 the Demonstration Phase for the Type 26 frigates was extended to June 2017. A contract for the manufacture of the first batch of three Type 26 frigates was awarded to BAE Systems in June 2017.All three ships of the first batch of Type 26 frigates are currently in build in Govan, with the first Type 26 frigate (HMS GLASGOW) expected to be in service with the Royal Navy in 2027.The procurement of the Batch 2 (Ships 4-8) Type 26 frigates was confirmed in 2021 and will be subject to a separate approval and contract, which is expected to be awarded early in the 2020s. The dates for the construction of each ship, and its price, will be set during commercial negotiations with BAES. The in-service dates for the Batch 2 ships will be determined and approved when the programme achieves its main investment decision point.

Egypt: War Graves

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have madein identifyingthe graves of more than 10,000 Egyptians who died in the service of the British Empire during World War One, including those in the Egyptian Labour Corps.

Baroness Goldie: In April 2021, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) published its Special Committee’s report into historical inequalities in commemoration. The CWGC continues to make good progress against the report’s ten recommendations. Documents recently discovered by the CWGC’s dedicated research team put the number of personnel from the Egyptian Labour and the Camel Transport Corps who lost their lives in the Middle East during the First World War at just over 15,550. Very few of these were known to have marked graves and the names of the majority were, and are, unknown to the CWGC. Although one aspect of the CWGC’s response to the report is to search for missing burials (and where they can be located and marked, they will be), the CWGC is initially focused on the discovery of names so that individuals’ service and sacrifice can be properly recorded and acknowledged. The CWGC have established that records and named lists of Egyptian personnel were passed by the British Armed Forces to the then Egyptian authorities so that pensions and compensation could be paid. The CWGC hope that these records might yet be found in Egyptian archival collections and the CWGC is making progress in tracking these records down.

Home Office

Gender Recognition

Baroness Jenkin of Kennington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps the Home Office is taking to close safeguardingloopholes where a name is changed in relation to a change of gender.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government is clear that we want people who are transgender to be able to live their lives as they wish. We believe that the process of legally changing one’s gender is a serious and legally meaningful undertaking which requires appropriate checks and a level of formality.Home Office policy is to allow a customer to change their gender without requiring a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC), in line with the Equality Act 2010, which does not allow discrimination between people who have changed their gender through medical intervention, for example via surgery, and those who have not.Statements from medical consultants are accepted if they are registered on a medical website, can provide proof of their medical qualification and HM Passport examiners can verify; if not HM Passport Office examiners request another letter from another medical consultant if the original person cannot meet the necessary criteria.The Government has begun an internal review into name change more generally. The review is looking at the formal and informal methods by which someone can change their name provide assurance that, where necessary, appropriate safeguards exist.

Crimes of Violence

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the (1) risks, and (2) potential legal consequences, for individuals who intervene to try to stop an assault or similar violent crime.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office is not aware of any assessment to have taken place within Her Majesty’s Government regarding the (1) risks and (2) potential legal consequences for individuals who intervene to try to stop an assault or similar violent crime.

Treasury

Electricity: VAT

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to address the discrepancy between the public charging VAT rate of 20 per cent for electric vehicles and the five per cent domestic VAT rate for electricity.

Baroness Penn: Electricity supplied at electric vehicle charging points in public places is subject to the standard rate of VAT of 20 per cent. In order to keep costs down for families, the supply of electricity for domestic use, including charging electric vehicles at home, attracts the reduced rate of VAT of 5 per cent.Expanding the relief already available would come at a cost to the Exchequer. Any loss in tax revenue would have to be balanced by a reduction in public spending, increased borrowing, or increased taxation elsewhere.The Government keeps all taxes under constant review.

Wealth

Lord Hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made, if any, of the increase in billionaires resident in the UK by (1) number, and (2) percentage, between (a) 2019–20, and (b) 2020–21; and what assessment have they made of the link, if any, between this increase and the payment of furlough money.

Baroness Penn: The Government has made no such assessment. The Office for National Statistics publishes statistics on the wealth of British households where individuals have a tax obligation and report to HMRC: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/totalwealthingreatbritain/april2018tomarch2020 HMRC also publishes statistics on personal incomes: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-incomes-tables-312-to-315a-for-the-tax-year-2018-to-2019 The Wealthy unit, which is part of Customer Compliance in HMRC, does not hold the number of billionaires resident in the UK. Additionally, the 2020-21 income details have been filed in January 2022, and so it is too early to complete a comparison to 2019-20 for 2020-21.

Energy: Billing

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to repay the rebate announced to help alleviate household energy bills; and what assessment they have made of the impact on households as a result of such repayment.

Baroness Penn: In recognition of the increase in energy costs and the impact this will have on households, the Government is providing significant financial support – up to £350 – to the majority of households. One element of this is a £200 discount for households delivered via their energy bill this autumn. We expect households will pay back the discount from 2023 – when energy prices are expected to be lower - through an increase to standing charges on their bills of around £40 per annum over five years. This approach is fiscally responsible while also helping customers manage the unprecedented increase in energy bills by spreading the increased costs of global prices over time. The policy will provide a significant discount to bills this year whilst gas prices are at historic highs. The government will explore this issue through a public consultation run by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in the spring. This policy is on top of wider support available for vulnerable households, elderly and low-income people this winter. These schemes include the Warm Home Discount, which is being expanded to 3m people and increased to £150, up to £300 Winter Fuel Payment for all households with at least one member above State Pension age and a £25 per week Cold Weather Payment. These measures will help ensure those most vulnerable are better able to heat their homes over the winter. There is also our £500m Household Support Fund which will help vulnerable households, including pensioners, with the costs of essentials this winter – local authorities will ensure it reaches those who need it most, and 50% of the funding is ringfenced for households with children. In addition to these measures, we’re also providing £3bn over this Parliament to help more than half a million lower income homes become more energy efficient, saving them £290 per year on average.

Food and Energy: Prices

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) energy, and (2) food, prices in (a) the financial years from 2016 to 2021, and (b) from the period covering 1 April 2021 to 31 January 2022.

Baroness Penn: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects and publishes data on energy and food prices in its monthly consumer price inflation bulletin. The data from each year from 2016 has been reproduced in the table below. Data for January 2022 will be published on 16 February 2022. ONS CPI Detailed annual changes 2008 to 2021 (% Change over 12 months)  Consumer Price InflationFood and non-alcoholic beverages InflationElectricity, gas and other fuels Inflation20160.7-2.4-3.020172.72.23.820182.52.16.820191.81.43.820200.90.6-4.620212.60.34.7

Energy: Billing

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what long-term arrangements they will put in place to assist (1) low-income households, and (2) pensioners on fixed incomes, to alleviate their domestic energy costs.

Baroness Penn: The Government recognises many households will need support to help deal with the rising cost of energy prices. Therefore, we are providing support worth £9.1bn in 2022-23 composed of:A £200 discount for households delivered via their energy bill this autumn, paid back automatically over the next 5 years, spreading the increased costs of global prices over time in a way that is more manageable for households.A £150 non-repayable cash rebate to 80% of households to help with rising costs now, delivered as a payment from government to Local Authorities, for implementation from this April via a payment to all households in Council Tax Bands A-D.£144 million of discretionary funding for Local Authorities to support households who need support but are not eligible for the Council Tax reduction. There is also our £500m Household Support Fund which will help vulnerable households, including pensioners, with the costs of essentials this winter – local authorities will ensure it reaches those who need it most, and 50% of the funding is ringfenced for households with children. This is on top of wider support available for vulnerable households, elderly and low-income people this winter. These schemes include the Warm Home Discount, which is being expanded to 3m people and increased to £150, up to £300 Winter Fuel Payment for all households with at least one member above State Pension age and a £25 per week Cold Weather Payment. These measures will help ensure those most vulnerable are better able to heat their homes over the winter. In addition to these measures, we’re also providing £3bn over this Parliament to help more than half a million lower income homes become more energy efficient, saving them £290 per year on average. In the longer term, the Government will look to reduce our reliance on global gas prices by moving to a cleaner, more resilient energy system and improve energy efficiency to help keep bills down.

Sailing Boats: Sales

Lord Hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Sky News on 8 November 2021 that found an increase in the sale of super yachts between 2019 and 2021; and what assessment they have made of the link, if any, between the purchase of such yachts and the payment of furlough money.

Baroness Penn: We have not made any such assessment. The objective of the CJRS was to support businesses to preserve employer-employee matches by providing a mechanism to pay the wages of furloughed employees. Through easing the financial burden, the CJRS aimed to support jobs, reduce the risk of permanent business closures, and reduce the risk of large losses in incomes, through wage support to furloughed employees. The scheme succeeded in supporting 11.7 million jobs across the UK, and the Office for National Statistics has found that of all workers who had ever been furloughed, more than nine in ten were still in work in the three months up to June 2021. As per Government guidance, the employer must have paid the full amount they claimed for their employee’s wages to their employee. They also had to pay the associated employee tax, pension, and National Insurance Contributions to HMRC. If they were not able to do that, the employer had to repay the money to HMRC. The Government put robust measures in place to control error and fraud in our key pandemic support schemes, such as investing over £100 million in a Taxpayer Protection Taskforce at the Spring Budget 2021.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Television: Advertising

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of (1) the number of television advertising slots there have been on UK free to view television in the most recent year for which data is available, and (2) of the trend in the number of such advertisements over the previous 10 years.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Ofcom is the independent regulatory body responsible for overseeing the amount and scheduling of adverts on UK licensed broadcast television. It is the responsibility of Ofcom to make any assessment in relation to the number of television advertising slots on UK free to view television or any related trends over the years.Under section 322 of the Communications Act 2003, Ofcom requires licensed television broadcasters to observe a set limit on the amount of advertising they show. The number of internal advertising slots permitted on public service channels depends on the genre and scheduled duration of the specific programme. The total amount of advertising on ITV 1, Channel 4, Channel 5, S4C and STV must not exceed an average of seven minutes per hour of broadcasting in any one day, or an average of 8 minutes per hour between 6.00 and 11.00 p.m. For other broadcasters, the total amount of advertising in any one day must not exceed an average of nine minutes per hour of broadcasting. This may be increased by a further three minutes per hour devoted to teleshopping spots.Ofcom’s Code on the Scheduling of Television Advertising (COSTA) sets out the rules with which licensed television broadcasters must comply when displaying adverts. If a broadcaster does not comply with these requirements, they can be found in breach of their licence.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Peers' Interests: Lobbying

Lord Truscott: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker further to the Written Answer by the Senior Deputy Speaker on 23 November (HL4170), what plans, if any, the Conduct Committee has to review the rules about Members of the House of Lords working for lobbying firms.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: I have consulted the Chair of the Conduct Committee in preparing this answer. The Committee has no current plans to review the rules about members of the House of Lords working for lobbying firms. If the Noble Lord has any specific issues that he would like the Committee to consider, he can of course write to the Chair.